Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to payment transactions and, more particularly, to payment transactions for virtual items.
Background of the Invention
Over the last decade the popularity of massive multiplayer online games (MMOGs), for example World of Warcraft® and Second Life®, has grown significantly. With MMOGs, a very large number of game players who are communicatively linked via a network, such as the Internet, can game with one another in a commonly shared virtual gaming environment, also known as a “virtual world.” In some MMOGs players can earn and collect virtual items within the games. For example, if a player earns enough points or completes a particular task, the player may be awarded a virtual weapon for use in the game, or a virtual object that provides the player with special powers or abilities within the game. Oftentimes such virtual items also may be purchased using real-world currency, either from virtual stores within the virtual worlds or from other players. Indeed, such trading has grown to an extent that it now represents a significant volume of global commerce.
The real-world currency is usually exchanged using a real-world financial account (e.g. a debit or credit account), while the virtual item is exchanged in a separate transaction between the seller and a virtual representation (e.g. avatar) of the player who is purchasing the virtual item. For such transactions, only one form of authentication, for instance the avatar, is required of the purchaser. Hence, the risk of fraud is high, especially if a player's password or account is known or compromised by another person.